Allflex introduces Beef USA Tag Program

Introduced at the 2005 National Cattlemen's Association Annual Convention and Tradeshow, the official NCBA “Beef USA” Tag program is built around high-performance ISO half-duplex Electronic ID technology from Allflex along with the more traditional visual tags already familiar in the industry. Both EID and Visual program tags bear the “Beef USA” logo.

“We're pleased to partner with NCBA to help producers who want to take the important first steps towards adding value to their herd through the use of electronic identification of beef,” says Glenn Fischer, senior vice-president of Allflex.

“Producers have told us again and again that they want simple, cost-effective identification solutions that work in real-world settings. That's exactly what we've put together in this NCBA Beef USA tag progra.”

Producers should understand that using these tags can help them enhance the marketability of their cattle. A growing number of beef retailers in domestic and foreign markets are requesting information about the health and genetic histories behind the beef they sell.

Capturing basic information such as birth date can be a critical part of marketing cattle months and years down the road. Identifying individual animals can also help a producer be prepared for the evolving, national animal identification program being encouraged by USDA.

Many producers already derive value from animal records as they participate in value-added programs, or make management decisions based on accurate data about animal performance gathered over time.

Specially labeled NCBA Beef USA tag sets will be available through traditional animal supply retail locations throughout the U.S. Each bag includes complete instructions for tag application and how to place these ID numbers and some simple animal information in a private and confidential electronic storage file, if the producer so chooses.

“Allflex has a global perspective and unparalleled experience when it comes to helping producers adopt identification technology. We're proud to partner with NCBA at this important time in the cattle industry,” Fischer said.